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Human Rights Shaming and FDI: Effects of the UN Human Rights Commission and Council

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  • Vadlamannati, Krishna Chaitanya
  • Janz, Nicole
  • Berntsen, Øyvind Isachsen

Abstract

Do public condemnations by the United Nations human rights bodies lead to foreign direct investment (FDI) loss for abusive regimes? The Human Rights Commission and later Council (UNHRCC) are internationally legitimized tools where member states shame repressive regimes for human rights violations in public resolutions. We argue that these resolutions can influence foreign investors in two main ways: (1) They signal that a state is an outcast, unable to secure alliances within the UN human rights bodies that protect it from being publicly shamed, with negative consequences for investment attractiveness (‘outcast’ effect). (2) They signal that a state is one of the most rogue, severe human rights violators because voting members of the UNHRCC may be aware of many human rights violations, but they pass resolutions only in the harshest cases (‘bottleneck’ effect). Any MNC associated with such a country risks severe reputational damage. Results from a panel data analysis of 165 countries (1977–2013) confirm that UNHRCC condemnations deter FDI. This effect is amplified by media reporting of human rights abuse, and stronger and more robust than a bad human rights record of a state itself. NGO shaming and milder UNHRCC sanctions (which do not reach resolution stage) have less strong effects, although the result on NGO shaming is to be seen with caution due to a reduced sample size.

Suggested Citation

  • Vadlamannati, Krishna Chaitanya & Janz, Nicole & Berntsen, Øyvind Isachsen, 2018. "Human Rights Shaming and FDI: Effects of the UN Human Rights Commission and Council," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 222-237.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:104:y:2018:i:c:p:222-237
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.11.014
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    2. Rosa M. Sanchez Salgado, 2023. "The many faces of the politics of shame in European policymaking," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 56(3), pages 525-547, September.
    3. Shubha Kamala Prasad & Irfan Nooruddin, 2024. "States living in glasshouses …: Why fighting domestic insurgency changes how countries vote in the UN human rights council," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 41(5), pages 556-573, September.
    4. Bimal Adhikari & Jeffrey King & Lie Philip Santoso, 2024. "The limits of shame: UN shaming, NGO repression, and women's protests," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 41(3), pages 197-217, May.
    5. Gonchar, Ksenia & Greve, Maria, 2022. "The impact of political risk on FDI exit decisions," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 46(2).
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    7. Rekha Rao-Nicholson & Liudmyla Svystunova, 2020. "Assessing the Role of Host Country Human Rights Protection on Multinational Enterprises’ Choice of Investment Strategy," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 177-209, April.
    8. Karin Johansson, 2024. "Talk of shame: Conflict-related sexual violence and bilateral critique within the United Nations," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 61(3), pages 429-445, May.

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